Silenced Justice: A Josh Williams Novel (15 page)

"Tommy, do you have anything else about those businesses?" Josh asked.

Moore wasn't listening, fumbling with his coffee cup, staring at his desk.

Josh looked at Zach, then back at Moore. "Hey, Tommy, you in there? Earth to Tommy," throwing a pen at Moore.

Moore looked up, startled, and realized everyone was watching him. "What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about…I mean. What did you say?"

"Do you have anything else about businesses at that location? Or about Jennifer Sorin?" Josh asked again.

"No, ah, not yet. I'll keep working on it," Moore answered. "I've got to run out for a bit, LT. If that's okay?" heading out the door, not waiting for the answer.

"What the hell was that all about?" Josh asked.

"Maybe I hit his head harder than I thought," Chris chuckled.

Chapter 21

Josh pulled up to the Benefit Street side of the courthouse and parked the car. Looking around, he spotted what he needed across the street. Walking over to the parked car, glancing around, he grabbed the parking ticket from under the windshield wiper. Walking back to his car, he put the parking ticket on his windshield.
Mission accomplished
, he chuckled to himself.

Walking up the stairs to the building, he passed through the security access point and walked over to the elevator. Getting off at the eighth floor, he approached Judge Tucker's administrative aide.

"Good day, Ms. Atwell. I hope you remember me, Lieutenant Williams from East Providence police. I am here for my appointment with the Judge."

Atwell punched a few keys on her computer. "I am sorry, Lieutenant. I do not see it on the schedule. With whom did you make the appointment?"

"The Judge called me," Josh said, smiling at the assistant.

"That is strange," eyes narrowing, arms folded against her chest. "The Judge always has me schedule his appointments."

Josh shrugged his shoulders, "Well he called me, asked me to be here now. I am here. Could you check with him, please?"

Atwell slid back her chair, stood up and walked to the door, looked back at Josh, knocked, and went in, closing the door behind her.

Josh counted on the uncertainty and doubt he had unleashed on the assistant, and the curiosity of the Judge, to get him in.

Atwell came back, sat at the desk, and made a note in the computer. "The Judge will be with you in a moment. He said he must have forgotten to mention this to me. Please make it brief, Lieutenant."

Josh smiled and took a seat. He did not have to wait long. The door to the chambers opened and Judge Tucker came out, catching Atwell by surprise.

"Lieutenant Williams, good to see you."

"Your Honor, I would have been happy to bring the Lieutenant in," Atwell said.

"No need, Ms. Atwell. I thought the Lieutenant and I would go down to the coffee shop." Looking at Josh, "Shall we, Lieutenant?"

As they boarded the elevator, Tucker looked at Josh. "My assistant is never wrong, you know. Playing that little mind game will ruin her day. So what was so important it was necessary to do that?"

"I got the documents you sent me," Josh said. "Thank you, but I have to ask. Why did you wait so long to bring these to light?"

Tucker watched the floor indicator, as it reached the ground floor he turned to Josh. "How about we take a walk outside, away from prying eyes and curious ears?"

Josh nodded, "Sure."

They left the building, crossing South Main Street to the walkway on the Woonasquatucket River. Standing at the railing, Tucker watched as two kayaks slid by. He leaned against the rail, folding his arms. "When you were a young patrolman, new on the job, did you see things that bothered you?"

Josh studied at the Judge and then stood next to him. "I did, a lot of things. Why?"

"What did you do about them?"

"Well, at the time, there wasn't much I could do. Police departments are hierarchical. There is a distinct pecking order," Josh said. "The Sergeants used to say we were lower than whale shit and that's on the bottom of the ocean. Rank and seniority were power."

"It is not all that much different in the AG's office. Brand new special assistants do what they are told, when they are told, as they are told." Tucker put his hands on the rail, “Much the same, it would seem, as a police department."

Josh nodded. "So you waited, but why so long? Once you were out of there you could have brought this out. Might have derailed Collucci's career and that would not have broken my heart."

"No," Tucker smiled, "I imagine it wouldn't. The reality was I did not see any benefit in bringing it to light. The defendant was dead; I never knew he had a family." Dropping his gaze to the ground, "Maybe if I had known?"

Josh turned to look at the river. "I suppose it would've been lost in the noise of other issues and accomplished nothing. Maybe this is the right time. It is helpful to me. Thanks for sending it."

"There's something else, Josh. Something I was vague about when I spoke with you and Chris," Tucker said, watching for Josh's reaction.

"What is it?"

"When I told you Collucci took over the case, I said shortly before Grey died," Tucker took a deep breath. "The truth is he took over the case the day Grey died. I found out just after he assigned me to a new project. It was all a sham to shut me up."

The Judge looked up at the sky, trying to regain control of his emotions.

"Judge it doesn't--" Josh offered.

Tucker interrupted him.

"It does matter," he said. "I let him manipulate me. I was a coward, afraid to do the right thing. I have regretted the decision my whole life."

"Judge, remember when you asked me about seeing things that were wrong but being unable to do something about it?" Josh said. "There's a difference between unwilling and unable. I understand the politics of the AG's office. Collucci would have bounced you out of there in a heartbeat."

Josh moved to stand in front of the Judge. "If you were fired from the AG's office, your career would likely have been very different. Keep that in mind."

The Judge perked up a bit more. "You said Grey has a daughter?"

"He does. We’re trying to find out the truth for her. It looks to me he is, or was, innocent."

"I would want that for my daughter."

Josh saw an opportunity here. "You have a daughter, your honor? How old is she?"

Tucker came off the railing, facing Josh, eyes brightening. "I do, she's thirty-two. She was married. They are now divorced, unfortunately. She has a daughter as well, my granddaughter Kelsey, nine years old." His beaming smile and wistful eyes lit his face, changing the mood.

Josh thought a moment. How far should I go with this? Maybe a little nudge might tell us something. "Who was your daughter married to?"

"Anthony Sorin, Senator Collucci's Chief of Staff." The judge tried to gauge Josh's reaction. "Anthony was not…, let's just say he and I have different perspectives on things. He never sees his daughter. I have tried to tell him it is time you can never get back, but he is all about his career. He has taken good care of my daughter financially, though. Helped her develop a good business. For that, I am grateful."

"Collucci's Chief of Staff? Not someone I'm likely to associate with," Josh laughed.

"No, I would think not," Tucker replied. "Okay, so now you understand part of why I held on to the reports. Perhaps I was waiting for this opportunity. Do what you will with them. Don't worry about the fallout," taking a few steps towards the Court before stopping. "Lieutenant, do you have children?"

"No, not yet, but we've talked about it."

Coming back to Josh, putting his hand on Josh's shoulder, he spoke in a soft, gentle tone. "Do yourself a favor. Have them, lots of them. Despite all the demands they can impose, it is one of life's greatest joys," he smiled. "I must be getting back. Next time, call Ms. Atwell first; she'll be fretting about this all day."

"Thank you, your Honor. I'll tell my wife I have a court order that she must endure many pregnancies."

Tucker laughed. "I am sure I'll hear about it next time she appears before me. Take care, Lieutenant," crossing back over South Main Street and disappearing into the courthouse.

Josh walked to his car. Driving through the East side of Providence, he turned onto Waterman Street. He decided to take another ride by the office building. As he pulled into the lot, he saw a car bearing New York plates in the parking spot next to the one for JTS Management. The car looked out of place. Grabbing the camera he kept under the seat, he pulled into an open spot hoping to grab pictures of the occupants.

He did not have to wait long.   

Two men and a woman came out of the building and approached the car. One of the men held the door for the woman as she got into the back seat. Josh shot a dozen quick images, then ducked as the car pulled out. He gave them time to get out of the lot, and then headed out, intending to return to the station. As he left the lot, he noticed another vehicle; the two occupants watched him pull out.

Turning towards the bridge, Josh saw the second car, a dark colored sedan, pull forward, and follow him.
Let's see how curious they are
. Just before he reached the point where Waterman Street and the bridge entrance diverged, he pulled to the side of the road.

Getting out of the car, he opened the hood, waiting for them to pass him. The car drove down Waterman Street, the passenger looking at Josh. As the vehicle passed the bridge entrance, it put him into a one-way section, near a small traffic circle. Josh closed the hood, jumped back in, and took off over the Henderson Bridge. The other driver had no choice but to drive around the traffic circle before he could get back to follow him.

Taking the first exit, he pulled a quick U-turn, and drove behind a commercial building. Two men working on a loading dock yelled as the car came speeding into the lot. Josh jumped out, waving his badge at the irate workers. He ran to the corner of the building in time to see the sedan coming down the off-ramp onto Massasoit Avenue, heading away from him. He could see the two occupants scanning the area, checking side streets.

Josh waited a few minutes, returned to his car, and then followed the sedan, once the hunted now the hunter. As he drove from Massasoit Avenue onto Waterman Avenue, he passed the Red Bridge Cafe. Josh spotted a marked police unit, parked between the buildings, in the abandoned gas station lot next door. A favorite hiding spot of the uniform cops.

Pulling alongside the driver's window, a smiling, but unenthusiastic, Officer William Jones greeted him.

"Hey, Lieutenant, please don't tell me you need something. It's almost 2:15. All I have to do is avoid a call for the next hour and a half and I am out of here."   

Jones represents a certain percentage of police officers known as PFLs, Patrolmen for Life. They strive for specific professional goals. Accumulate enough seniority to work the same shift, same post, every year, and operate under the radar. Handle calls as needed, avoid creating any problems, and get through each shift with minimal effort. Having the SIU Lieutenant pull up to you ninety minutes before the end of the shift was the worst possible scenario.

"All I need is for you to stop a car for me. I just need to know who's driving it," Josh replied. "I'll even tell dispatch I need you for the rest of the shift. Stop the car and you can maintain radio silence for the duration."

Jones sat back in his seat, putting his hands behind his head. "It is tempting. We've been getting a lot of last minute bullshit and I have a bowling match at 4:15 today. Okay, deal. Hold on. No reports, right?"

Josh laughed, “Even if they shoot at us, no reports. How's that?"

"Okay," Jones answered, sitting up and adjusting his seat. "Wait a minute, shoot at us?"

"Just kidding. Dark colored sedan, two guys in it. My guess is they'll be back this way headed towards the Henderson."   

As if that's all it took, the sedan drove down Waterman Avenue. The occupants oblivious to two police vehicles parked in the shadows between the buildings.

"I assume that's the one. I don't know it and I know all the locals," Jones said, pointing at the car as it passed by.

"Nothing gets by you does it, Jonesy?" Josh threw the car in reverse and backed out. Jones pulled out and caught up to the sedan.

Josh was on his cell phone to dispatch. "Tanya, send a marked unit to back up 207 on Massasoit, just off Waterman. He's out on a car stop for me." True to his word he added, “Also, put 207 out of service with me until end of shift. Thanks."

As Josh sat back a ways, parked behind cars in the restaurant lot, he watched Jones approach the driver's side. The second marked unit arrived, and the officer took up a position at the rear passenger side. After a short conversation, Jones walked back to his car, waving off the other officer.             

Josh stayed in the shadows and watched the sedan drive away. Once it disappeared down the road, he walked over to talk to Jones; Josh waved at the second officer leaving the scene.

"Well?"

"Lieutenant, I want to thank you for covering me for the next hour. My bowling team will be most pleased I will not be detained at work," Jones said, leaning on the trunk of the police car.

"I can't tell you how thrilled I am, now who the hell were they?"

"Lieutenant, they were our cousins from the North, North Scituate to be precise. Landespolizei, the Rhode Island State Police."

"Of course they were," shaking his head. "Thanks, Jonesy. Enjoy the rest of the shift. I cleared it with dispatch."

Josh walked back to his car.

Jones returned to the cruiser, drove back to his nest between the buildings. He returned the seat to his resting position, and ignored the radio. A happy man.

Josh grabbed for his cell,
I hope Brennan's connections can deal with this.

* * *

Returning to the office, Josh filled in Kennedy and Moore on his talk with the Judge and the surveillance on Waterman Street. The got a giggle out of the guest appearance by the state police. "I called Brennan. He's gonna reach out to the Colonel. If he can't derail their curiosity, he’ll ask for one of the troopers we've worked with on other cases. I should know something later today."